Citizens mockery makes Telangana government take tough decisions

Hyderabad: People of Hyderabad, who had extended full cooperation to the call for Janata Curfew, made a mockery of the lockdown announced by the State Government by ignoring the coronavirus threat and came out on to roads in large numbers.

Though the government and police made it clear that no person should come out of houses between 7 pm to 6 am, many people came out on the roads and exhibited their insensitivity towards the impending threat of the Covid-19 spread.

The police had tough time in sending them back to their homes. Even though the police had seized many vehicles for violation of lockdown rules, there was no let-up among the crowds moving around. In some important junctions like SR Nagar even triple riding on motorcycles was seen.

When asked by The Hans India team, they gave vague replies. Some said they work in Water Board but had no identity cards to prove so. Some said they wanted to go to village in Mahbubnagar.

When asked how they would go when public transport and trains were not being operated, they had no reply. Huge crowd was seen in front of vegetable shops and in Erragadda Rytu Bazar.

Some of them even looted vegetables alleging that vendors were selling at inflated rates.

Taken aback by this total non-cooperation by the denizens, the government said that if the situation does not change, they may have to impose total curfew and will not allow anyone to move out of the house.

Not just that, the government said they will also book cases and arrest them.

From Tuesday onwards, police have decided to set up check posts in various areas. Only one person per family will be allowed to move out to buy essentials and that too within 3 km of their house.

A committee to monitor the prices of essential commodities is also being constituted. Any person without proper identity card or in case of emergencies medical documents will not be allowed to come on to road.

Lockdown, the Chief Secretary and the DGP, said was to prevent spread of Covid-19 virus since number of positive cases have been increasing every day and people should understand this.

Officials said that most of the violators were either students or those who have been given permission to work from home. The police too seem to be not so clear in creating awareness.

When they stopped the people on roads, all of them were brought in as a group and were told about the steps to be taken to prevent the spread of virus. This was against the instructions that people should not gather in groups.

Similarly, though Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao issued orders that media should be considered as essential service and their employees should be allowed on production of identity cards, the constable level officials created some hurdles and prevented their movement.

"If an individual is found to be travelling on road without any reason then he/ she will be booked under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 and the penalty will be levied under Section 188 of the Act.

If a person is booked under this Act, then he/she will have to face imprisonment for a period of about six months along with a relevant fine," said a senior official.

The other restrictions were also imposed which also includes the closure of all petrol bunks and other stores selling essential commodities by 7 pm every day.